Fruit picker



Patented July 3, 1923..

UNirEDsi lvrs fsf noY A. HWE Ann Jo'iiiv F.' IRISH, .or BANTAM, eoirivEo'rIoUir.`

f in Fruit Pickers, of which thefollowing'V is a specification.`

Our invention consists in a new and use-l ful improvementin.. fruit pickers and is.y

designed to providea cutting `head whichl iscarried aloftuponla staff and operated` bya coi-d .froin` the ground. Our iin-r proved cutting head, isv ofA simple and durable construction and also leffective. ,in operation.

closed, thus allowing the fruitv to vpass through the cutting head and into a iiexiblev u device, on the line 3 3 ,of'Fig'.'-2.v

conveyor tube attached to the head.

We are aware of the fact that thereare many devices ofthis general type and the novel features vof. our invention'afford several distinct advantages over the other `de` vices in this class of fruitpickers. We have found that it is necessary to design the cutting head so that there shall beno possibility of the fruit striking against the metal walls of the receptacles, and thus becoming bruised, when it is allowed to fall, upon the severing of the stem. Our cutting head is so fashioned that the passageway for thefruit therethrough is adjusted to its maximum capacity at the moment when the stem of the fruit is severed'. y

vlle have also found that the durability of the device is greatly enhanced if the two retacle when the head is opened to receive In this connection we the fruit therein. havel secured a very important advantage by so relating the parts that the edgesl or the inner receptacle form a stop to limit the movement of the outer receptacle thus affording additional stability to the device.

The parts are so proportioned that thefmani-k mum degree of opening of the head is secured. i

FRUIT PICKER.

We have secured vthese advan-l tages `by providing two co-acting metal re-v ceptacles which are yadapted ktoenclosefthe fruit and.-..sever the steml when` they` are` Application mea January ai, i322. vserai in.` 530,835. f

we have aise -ioiiiiaiiiaihe anteayer the device is greatly increasedby so relatingy l the operating cord v.tothe headand the sta-tf f that thev impulse v enel-ted` through v'the'- cord may operate 'a line at rightA angles` to the Cutting edges 01 .fhhed at the `inorlflentl i of severing the stem.l` of the fruit;

. Qur invention is fullyv disclosed in the tails of construction illustratedin the .drawn ings and hereinafter,fullydescribechbut rit l.

is to Vbe understood thatwe `have indicated herein only one specific embodimentofour claim appendedhereto-` 'Y In `the drawings:

invention'and refery forgitsscopetothe Fig. l, is a side elevation of apyfruit picker embodying our invention, thecutting head beingindicated in normalopen'. relation, the" cutl' Fig. :is a. similar view,z showing ting'head in closed relation'. 'l

Fig. 3 Xis a Our improved cutting. head 'is' composed horizontal section .th-rough f back walls A2 and B2, andthe tops A3 and B3, provided with the cutting'edgcs A3 and B3 respectively.- Thesidew'allsA1, A1 are 1 provided at the middle of. their outer'eidges with the outstanding semi-circular earsA,

A4, and the walls B1, B1 are also provided f with similar ears B4, B1. The receptacles A` and B are so proportioned andjrelated' that'the ears At, A4 are inserted into the redicated in Fig. 3. RivetsuR, R, concentrically positioned relative tothe -two sets connect the'two receptacles ,A and B.

the staff C. At points below thefhinge con;

provided with small holes jA5 and Bre- 'spectively, vin which `are fastened the ends"v of a contraction lco-il spring S. It will-be obvious from the drawings that the action of v the spring S will cause the lower part of the receptacle -`B to swing toward. the staffl C, thus causing kthe lsides B1, B71 to ride overV the sides A1, A1( This movement of 4the recepf-j f l tacle Bfwill continue'until the back fwall B2 of the receptacle B comes into contact `with the points Aof the outer edges ofthe sides ,I i

' providedL with a vsmall hole BG at a point A1, Ala 'which torni'stops to limit the morement of the` receptacle B.v The action ot the 'spring S thus holds the cutting head in its normal position as shown in Figi 4 One-ot the walls B1 of the receptacle B is immediately adjacent the outer edge of the top B3. ln this hole B6 there is secured the end ot the operatingv cord C1. An eye C2 is located in the'upper end ot the statt@ and the cord C1 passes through this eye()2V andA is thencalrried downfa'long thel stati C. The

l eye C2 is so disposed relative tol the cutting' head thatv when the cordv C1 is drawnto" close the cuttinz'g` head', the portion ot' the" cord betweenthe-hole BG and the eye C2 will be at right angles to the'vmeetin'gedges ot' the receptacles A 'and B.

fi'eXible conveyor D ot any suitable nia-'- lferial has its upper open end surrounding the open bottom of the cutting head and isJ appropriately fastened to the bottoms of the receptacles A and B.

` It will be Aobvious from the `-lioreregoing; de-

fscript'ion of theqp'afrts 'of our device that and B1, B1 dcnot overlap; Therefore yat the moment of' cutting, the'y cutting' head is distended to its full capacity and there is consequently no chance for the fruit to become jammed or strike against the ywalls of the cutting head and thus beconiebruised. It will also be noted thatby reason of this status of the cuttinghead. at themoment vof cutting, the flexible conveyor D is distended to its full capacity. y Having described our i'nveriti'on-,zwhatv we claim isr:

In' ai Afruitp'i'clfrer cutting head,v.the combi.-

nation of ai receptacle provided with two side walls; an 'outwardly projecting semi-v circnlar' ear located at theV middle'` of' onev edge ot each of said side vwallsgasecond receptacle provided with two sidewalls; an outwardly projecting semi-circular ear located at the middle-ot one-'edge' of each of said side walls, the two ears' on the firstv receptacle' being adapted to lie .adjacent the -in'n'er surfaces of the sidewalls of' the second receptacle",and4 the two ears on' the second'y receptacle being adap'tedtov lie' adjacent the;

outer surfaces of the side walls of the first* receptacle.; and a rivet concentricallylocated relativevtothe' two'A adjacent" ears on each' side' of' the head, said rivets beinga'daptedtoA` hi'ngeidly connect the; saidv receptacles. y

tures. A l

BUY A.'HOWE. y JOHN FQ IRISH.

In testimony whereof we ax our' signa-4 

